2023 is a great year for anime movies. Aside from Hayao Miyazaki’s new film, GKIDS announced the Blue Giant anime movie’s October release date in US cinemas.
Blue Giant was first screened in Japan earlier this year. While it may not be as talked-about as some of the other anime movie releases of the year, it features an interesting music-related premise.
It also helps that the manga that it’s based on has been recognized by both Japanese and international awarding bodies.
Award-Winning Blue Giant Manga Got the Anime Film Treatment This Year
Blue Giant is a seinen manga by Shinichi Ishizuka that was serialized from 2013 to 2016 in Big Comic. It was soon followed up by sequels, and it is now on its fourth part titled Blue Giant Momentum.
The manga has been praised for its story which follows a former high school basketball player who picks up a saxophone and aims to become a great jazz musician.
Since its release, Blue Giant has racked up numerous awards, including the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award and the Japan Media Arts Festival Award. It has also been recognized in comic festivals in France.
Thanks to its renown, the manga was adapted into an anime film by NUT, the anime studio behind shows such as The Saga of Tanya the Evil and FLCL Alternative.
What’s more, the movie features a stacked staff list headlined by director Yuzuru Tachikawa of Death Parade and Mob Psycho 100 fame.
He is joined by character designer and chief animation director Yuichi Takahashi, a key animator for notable anime like Evangelion 3.0+1.0 and Kill la Kill.
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Blue Giant Film Gets October Release Date in the US
The Blue Giant movie was originally set to release in Japan back in 2022, but it was delayed to February 17, 2023.
No specific reason was given for the delay, but it’s likely to give the staff more time to work on the animation.
After all, the film features a unique and striking blend of 2D and 3D, as seen in the trailer here:
Following its Japanese release, GKIDS announced that it would release the film in US cinemas this year.
It turns out that Blue Giant will be screened ahead of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, which will also be distributed in North America by GKIDS.
Blue Giant will be released in the US on October 8 to 9 in selected theaters. There’s no word yet on plans for a wider cinema release.
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